Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård Sequel ‘Lords of War’ Acquired by Vertical for U.S.

Vertical has picked up U.S. rights to Andrew Niccol’s crime thriller “Lords of War,” starring Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård. The early pre-sale deal for the film from “Coda” studio Vendôme Pictures comes ahead of CinemaCon next week in Las Vegas, where Vertical will preview the first footage for exhibitors ahead of a 2027 theatrical release.

Written and directed by Niccol, the sequel to his 2005 “Lord of War” co-stars Laura Harrier, Sylvia Hoeks and Greg Tarzan Davis.

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Cage reprises his role as Yuri Orlov, the world’s most notorious arms dealer. “When Yuri discovers he has a son, Anton (Skarsgård), a ruthless mercenary mastermind bent on surpassing his father by building a private army and exploiting America’s wars in the Middle East, he is thrust into a deadly battle for legacy,” reads the synopsis.

“What begins as a shocking revelation ignites a fierce father-son rivalry fueled by power, ambition and betrayal — with the global arms trade hanging in the balance,” the story continues.

“As a storyteller, I always felt there was so much more to explore with the ‘merchant of death’ that is Nicolas Cage’s charming devil, Yuri Orlov. This latest chapter gave me the chance to introduce his ultimate rival: his illegitimate son, Anton — illegitimate in every sense of the word — played by the equally roguish Bill Skarsgård. Set against the largely unseen world of mercenaries, the film quickly reveals that Anton isn’t out to right his father’s wrongs; he’s out to top them,” Niccol in a statement. “We’re delighted to be partnering with Vertical on the U.S. release — the team has fully embraced the film’s vision and its portrayal of the insanity of war.”

“Vertical is thrilled to unveil the first footage from ‘Lords of War’ for exhibitors at CinemaCon next week. With Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård going head-to-head, audiences are in for a tense, electrifying ride,” added Vertical partner Peter Jarowey. “’Lord of War’ has long been one of the defining crime thrillers for me, and it’s incredibly exciting to partner with Andrew Niccol as he returns to the explosive world of Yuri Orlov.”

Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi, who produced the original, produced the sequel for Vendôme Pictures, alongside Niccol and Cage for Saturn Films. Executive producers were Skarsgård, Alice Dawson, Fifth Season’s Graham Taylor and Christopher Slager, and Vertical’s Rich Goldberg and Peter Jarowey. Sammi Farber served as associate producer.

The deal was negotiated by Jarowey on behalf of Vertical and by Vendôme Pictures and CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers. International sales are handled by FilmNation Entertainment.

Vertical’s current and upcoming titles include Padraic McKinley’s “The Weight” starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, Ben Gregor’s “The Magic Faraway Tree” with Andrew Garfield and Clare Foy, and Oliver Assayas’ “The Wizard of the Kremlin” starring Paul Dano, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander and Jeffrey Wright.